Update/No.24, 2004
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UpdateEAB www.esperanto-gb.org ✩ Gisdateˆ An organ of the Esperanto Association of Britain Organo de Esperanto-Asocio de Britio No. 24, January–March 2004 ★ N-ro 24, januaro–marto 2004 ISSN 1741-4679 International Communication without Discrimination ★ Human Rights in Practice Internacia Komunikado sen Diskriminacio ★ Homaj Rajtoj en la Praktiko Attacks on linguistic independence = wrongful discrimination Here is the continuation and conclusion of Dr Humphrey Tonkin’s article ‘Authentic Language Equal- ity – a European Right’ from the previous issue of EAB Update. The first part ended with the state- ment that a Europe with a logical, just and firm language policy will come about when people begin to understand that language rights are as important as the rights of women or racial civil rights. n a few countries of Europe, “If people are elsewhere, including those in Ilanguage minorities have Italy, deserve our strongest had notable success in preserv- not sensitised praise. The aggressive inter- ing their viability and even vention of the Communications overturning centuries of ne- to the fact Centre in EU language mat- glect. The countries of Europe ters, among other things to need to understand that, that language combat language discrimina- confronted by the British and tion, is a good and appropriate Irish, they are countries whose discrimination is approach to take: if people are languages are minority lan- as unacceptable not sensitised to the fact that guages, whose continental fight language discrimination is as for existence is not really so as other forms of unacceptable as other forms of different from that of Sami discrimination, they won’t even (Lapps) or Welsh, Frisian or discrimination, give the language problem the Friulan, within their respective attention it needs (as is evident countries. Attacks on their they won’t give in the present passivity of linguistic independence are the language Brussels officials). And if the essentially matters of wrongful existence of a so-called Espe- discrimination. problem the ranto solution never makes it on to the mental horizons of Fight for the minorities attention it the Brussels opinion-makers, And are the Esperantists ready even a decision to tackle the with their arguments? Thanks needs” language problem would leave to the financial support of the whose goal is to intervene with Esperanto on one side. Universal Esperanto Associa- the EU bodies on matters tion and the welcome practical related to language problems Are we ready? and financial cooperation of the and Esperanto. In my view, Is Esperanto ready to play a national Esperanto associa- these new developments are role in Europe? Do we really tions grouped within the the most significant that we have the courage to present it European Esperanto Union have seen in forty years of as a solution? We would cer- (EEU), information activities activity in the European Union. tainly have more courage if and public relations in Brus- more outsiders registered their sels have intensified markedly Aggressive intervention support for our work; and we as a result of the newly estab- The national associations, and would have more courage if the lished Communications Centre, the activists in Brussels and language itself were fully Gˆ isdate • 1 CˆEFARTIKOLO LEAD ARTICLE REDAKTORA NOTO prepared with its specialised Heralds of the new Europe terminology and its profes- Precisely such hesitancy, Renovigo sional interpreters, translators precisely such lack of coopera- and language teachers. tion, such preference for lack of endube la plej grava ero en A further task of the Brus- firm agreement afflicts the Sla nuna numero komen- sels Centre is to obtain the cigˆ as sur la kontrau˘a pagˆo, support of outsiders, such as proponanta la novan konstitu- politicians, university leaders, “We should not cion de EAB. Vi – la membroj – educators, linguists. The vocˆdonos pri gˆi en la venonta Brussels Centre can also help hesitate to take jarkunveno cˆe la venonta to make us aware of the need up this new Brita Kongreso en Felixstowe to develop our own language (kaj ne forgesu aligˆi antau˘ la more aggressively and ener- and unique fino de februaro por ricevi la getically, so that it is fully avantagˆ ojn). ˆ ready for its anticipated role. challenge” Ci tiu gazeto estas proprajˆo I hope that the European de la membaro, ne de la estraro national associations will various member-states of the de EAB nek de mi, do viaj kon- continue work to make the European Union. If the various tribuoj cˆiam estas bonvenaj. Centre a success. states really want to preserve a Mi sentas, ke eventuale plej But this depends, among Europe of cultures, they should utile estus aperigi prilingvan ˆ other things, on the active listen, among other things, to rubrikon por progresintoj. Cu cooperation of people associ- the message of the Esperan- vi havas la intereson kaj ated with the Centre – in tists, who for more than a talenton por tion proponi? ˆ Brussels and Belgium in century have been practising a Cu vi jˆus legis interesan general, and also in the various form of active communication libron? Mi volonte ricevas vian national associations, and in that unites people in a spirit of recenzon – cˆu lau˘dan cˆu UEA. Often our initiatives equality and preserves local kritikan – sed nepre informan. ˆ wither or falter not because and regional cultural diversity. Ci-foje aperas ankau˘ nova we lack money or ideas, but A small band of utopians or rubriko ‘Niaj verkistoj’, kiu because we lack a spirit of the harbingers of a new Europe? stimulu al lingva progresigo cooperation and compromise. That choice, dear friends, rests per esplorado en nia literaturo. I hope that this new European primarily with us. We should … kaj felicˆan Novan Jaron! initiative will not lose its not hesitate to take up this Geoffrey Sutton momentum because of our new and unique challenge. inability to organise ourselves (English translation of the • Material for the next issue of to take advantage of the good Esperanto original of Update should be with the editor ideally no later than 15 February / opportunities to present our the Keynote Address at the • Materialo por la venonta numero case that are now opening up 5th European Union Esperanto de Gˆisdate atingu la redaktoron to us. Congress, August 2002) ideale plej laste la 15-an de februaro. Update / Gˆisdate is a quarterly organ of the Esperanto ❏ EAB also publishes the review La Brita Esperantisto, Association of Britain / estas kvaronjara organo de wholly in Esperanto, and the English-language internet Esperanto-Asocio de Britio, Esperanto House / Esperanto- bulletin EAB NetNews / EAB eldonas ankau˘ la revuon La Domo, Station Road, Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent ST12 9DE. Brita Esperantisto, tute en Esperanto, kaj interrete la Tel. 0845 230 1887 or +44 (0)1782 372141 anglalingvan bultenon EAB NetNews. Fax / fakso: +44 (0)1782 372229 ✰ E-mail / ret-adreso: [email protected] ❏ EAB is a registered charity (No. 272676) and an Website / ttt-pagˆ o: www.esperanto-gb.org affiliated national association of the Universal Esperanto ❏ Membership of EAB costs £25 a year (£20 concession); Association, which has official relations with the United supporter £10 / Membrigˆi en EAB kostas £25 pundojn Nations and Unesco / EAB estas legˆe registrita bonfara jare (£20 rabatite); subtenanto pagas £10. asocio kaj aligˆ inta landa asocio de Universala Esperanto- ✰ Asocio (Nieuwe Binnenweg 176, NL-3015 Rotterdam, ❏ Material for Update should be sent by Nederlando. Tel. 00 31 10 436 1044; fax / fakso: 00 31 436 e-mail, computer disk or hard copy to the editor / 1751; e-mail / rete: [email protected]; www.uea.org), kiu havas Materialon por Gˆisdate oni sendu rete, diske au˘ papere al oficialajn rilatojn kun Unuigˆ intaj Nacioj kaj Unesko. la redaktoro: Geoffrey Sutton, 7 Clover Road, Aylsham, ✰ Norwich NR11 6JW; e-mail / retposˆ te: gsutton@ ❏ The views expressed in Update are not necessarily macunlimited.net. Material may be in Esperanto, English, those of the Management Committee of EAB / Welsh or Gaelic / Materialo rajtas esti en la lingvoj La opinioj esprimitaj en Gˆisdate ne nepre estas tiuj de la internacia, angla, kimra au˘ gaela. estraro de EAB. 2 • Update EL LA ESTRARO FROM THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE unusually inflexible. The Proposed amendments Charity Commission’s Model Constitution lets the Commit- to EAB’s constitution tee determine subscriptions from time to time. The pro- t is planned that the follow To advance the education of the public posed amendment is a compro- Iing amendments, or some- in the international language Esperanto mise between these two posi- thing very similar to them, will in the furtherance of international com- tions: the AGM determines the be proposed to the AGM in munication without discrimination and categories and subscriptions of 2004. The amendments are the natural right of all people and peo- full members, but the Commit- independent and will be voted ples, their languages and cultures to be tee is free to modify other on separately. A two-thirds treated equally, and in pursuance of that categories and subscriptions. majority is required for an object but not further or otherwise the amendment to be accepted. Association shall have the following Election of committee: EAB’s current constitution powers: Proposal can be found on EAB’s website Justification To replace the current section (http://esperanto-gb.org/), or The rules have recently been 4.1 as follows: ask the office for a printed copy. modified to allow such refer- 4.1. The affairs of the Association shall The Charity Commission’s ences to human rights in the be conducted by a Management Com- website (http://www.charity- objects of a registered charity. mittee elected by the Annual General commission.gov.uk/) has plenty Meeting or by postal ballot of all voting of information about how Determination of member- members at the time of the Annual registered charities should be ship subscriptions: General Meeting to serve until the end run, including the ‘Model Proposal of the next Annual General Meeting.